


Density has doubled

by Giulietta



Series: Mari-nyan [40]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Birthday Party, Classmates Shenanigans (Miraculous Ladybug), Epic Friendship, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Reunions, Gen, Kwami Swap, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Has a Crush on Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Plagg Being Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg Is a Troll (Miraculous Ladybug), Secret Identity, Surprise Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25913014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giulietta/pseuds/Giulietta
Summary: Being the bearer of the Black Cat Miraculous has made Marinette extra clueless of the Surprise Party. Plagg is not helpful.
Relationships: Gina Dupain & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Plagg
Series: Mari-nyan [40]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745011
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53





	Density has doubled

**Author's Note:**

> When I see the shirt made for Marinette, I saw the untapped salt to a character named Gina Dupain. XD
> 
> Plagg is derp and Marinette wholeheartedly believes her confidant when she's out of ideas.

Marinette knew her birthday was approaching. Being the youngest student in her class last year reminded her not to get hyped. Surprise birthday parties are stuff she prepares for others. It's never the other way around. She isn't sure for this semester with Alya and Adrien. Alya is her BFF and the blogger has befriended everyone in class. **Uhm...** Marinette befriended everyone too, but to help hide her secret identity as Lady Noire.

...

"I feel terrible." Marinette sighed, resting her arms on the rails.

"Why?" Plagg sat beside her, munching on cheese after spitting out a **kwagatama**. She's cleaned it and made it into a necklace. Plagg is pretty happy she's wearing it and Marinette is happy that he's the first to greet her Happy Birthday. None of her friends greeted her yet. Parents did, but they're being too secretive today.

"You remember my plan to keeping civilian me separate from my hero self?" Marinette reminded. "What if they know I'm keeping a secret? What if they're being friends with me because they pity me?"

"You're overthinking again. Humans aren't that smart. They're social creatures. They befriend you regardless of what you do." Plagg tossed his cheese, swallowing the last remnant. "Besides, you don't have any friends before I came along. Why overthink it?"

"I like to think..." Marinette glanced down at her balcony. "Maybe being best friends with Alya might be a terrible idea."

"But the blogger gives nice scratches." Plagg told her the truth. "Admit it. She has magical fingers."

"Mylène too." Marinette nodded sagely.

*DING!

"Hm?" Marinette looked over her shoulder to see her phone vibrate on the table. She walked to get it, reading the message. "Hey Plagg? Alya wants me to come along to the dentist."

"Dentist." Plagg repeated. Marinette shrugged.

"Yeah. Her sister needs moral support." Marinette continued, staring back at her phone. _She expected a Happy Birthday greeting, but that's not gonna happen huh?_ Marinette frowned. "It's at four o'clock."

"Where's the meet-up?" Plagg asked, flying up and swirling around her. "Probably related to her secret convo with Adrien, huh?"

"I told you not to listen in on people." Marinette scolded but Plagg decided to sit on her head instead. "But maybe yes? Adrien does have white teeth."

"I know. You plastered posters of him on your walls recently." Plagg commented as Marinette headed down into her bedroom. He scanned her room, "Why did you do that again?"

"To avoid fainting when I see his face." Marinette squinted at the posters. She walked down the stairs, heading to where her desktop is. "If I keep staring at his face, I won't feel my insides churning and my heart struggling to get out of my chest! I'll be as chill as a cucumber when I muster the courage to confess!"

...

"Misterbug placed a cucumber behind you. That was scary to you." Plagg commented. Marinette pursed her lips. _He has done this and she really hated him for that trick... Her hatred lasted for a day._

"..." Marinette exhaled, covering her face. "It's a work in progress... Why am I such a mess, Plagg?"

"You're my kitten." Plagg rolled down from her head to her shoulder. "Black cats are _unnaturally_ unlucky."

"Thanks..." Marinette sighed. Walking towards her desktop, she was ready to start some commissions when her parents called her down to answer the door. _Her parents have been pretty set on making this huge and pretty cake. Whoever the recipient of that cake must be lucky._

"Coming!" Marinette rushed down, having Plagg hide in her jacket. She opened the door, eyes widened when she saw her traveling grandmother - Gina Dupain. Marinette blinked, asking if she's seeing things right. "Grandma?"

"Mom?" Tom asked back and Marinette finally smiles. _It is her grandmother!_ Sabine asked, confused as well. "Gina? I thought you couldn't come!"

"Nonna!" Marinette cheered, hugging her grandmother. She quickly retreats back, but still held her grandma's arm. "It's been so long! How are you?"

"Oh Marinetta! Always so caring." Gina pushed up her sunglasses and ruffled her hair. "Today is your special day. I came here just for you!"

"I think your letters are amazing as it is." Marinette admitted, walking with her grandmother as she talked. "I managed to get your letters from Australia, Bali, Estonia and Patagonia. Is it true? Did you really get chased by a bear?"

"Hahaha!" Gina laughed, entering the shop and seeing unusual trashcan filled with something. Before Marinette spotted the abnormality, Gina continued by pulling Marinette slightly away from the trashcan. "Yes. But we wound up good friends in the end."

"But how?" Marinette furrowed her eyebrows and Gina laughed at her granddaughter's confusion. "Oh. Are you talking about your friends who ran with you while getting chased by the bear? Makes sense. That's the fastest way to make friends."

"Indeed. Now enough about me." Gina placed her bag down. "I have presents for you, my little fairy!"

"My Inuit friend knitted it especially for your tenth birthday!" Gina pulled out a package and gave it to Marinette.

" _啊呀..._ " Sabine muttered under her breath when Marinette opened it to reveal the shirt too small for even a ten-year-old.

"That's okay! I'll ask my friend to make another one." Gina told Marinette but the bluenette held onto the small item.

"No! No, it's awesome! I can make this work." Marinette reassured, hugging the T-shirt. "It's perfect, grandma. Thank you."

"Hmm..." Gina searched through her bag once more and Sabine glanced at Tom. "Your Nona has also brought you your favorite candy!"

"Oh!" Marinette stared at the unknown canister. It's almost four years since she last met her grandma. Marinette examined the tin. 'How does this taste again?'

"You still love them, right?" Gina asked and Marinette looked back at her grandmother. Marinette knew how hard she worked to get them and it's the thought that counts right?

"Yes! Yes, of course..." Marinette opened the tin and tasted one of it. 'These are hard... Like jawbreakers.'

"And that's not all, my fairy!" Gina placed a helmet on Marinette's head. Marinette looked up, visibly confused. Gina clapped her hands. "We'll have a wonderful day, you and I! Just like the last time. Well go to the merry-go-round and to the zoo, then-!"

"Uh, mom?" Tom interrupted her and Gina snapped her neck towards her son. Marinette shrunk, eyes widened at the change of atmosphere. Tom gulped, "Can I have a word, mom? Uh, just the two of us."

"What, Tom? That I don't know my Marinetta anymore because I'm always travelling?" Gina was guilt-tripping her Papa. Marinette frowned. _That ain't right._

"No, mom! It's just-!" Tom is losing. Maman was right. Papa's parents is so compliant to his parents.

"You think she doesn't want to spend time with her Nona, is that it?" Gina has changed tactics. She's going offensive.

"Nonna?" Marinette called out before another civil war erupts. _It's always like this whenever her parents meet their own parents._ Marinette smiled as Tom lets out a deep breath. "I don't mind spending time with you. But! I have to meet someone at four o'clock if that's all right with you?"

"There. You see?" Gina smiled triumphantly and Marinette looked at her Maman for help. Sabine shook her head and Marinette gets dragged by her grandma. "Come on, let's go, Marinetta! We're going to have a ball!"

"?" Plagg raised an eyebrow, popping from her jacket as Marinette clung to her grandmother on their motorbike ride.

"..." Marinette shrugged, looking back at Plagg hopelessly. _Plagg gets her right? This is her family who traveled back to Paris to spend time with her._ The candy is also hard to dissolve in her mouth. _They must be jawbreakers!_

...

* * *

...

"You think the giraffe is going to die from this thing?" Plagg asked as they sat on a bench. They're currently at Pont des Arts, the bridge André decided to hang out at the moment. "And why are you trying to finish it? You admitted it's a jawbreaker."

"Younger me had stronger teeth." Marinette sighed, staring at the last layer of candy in the can. "Or this Befana candy company changed the ingredients. They're not as sweet as they used to be."

"You're so like Tikki." Plagg yawned, glancing over to see his chosen's grandmother order ice cream. "Nice, responsible and utterly terrible at lying."

"Thanks Plagg-?!" Marinette almost fell off her seat when her phone rang. She picked it up, almost dropping it because it continues to vibrate.

"Hey Alya!" Marinette smiled, glancing back at her grandmother. "Sorry if I didn't call. Where were we supposed to meet up again?"

" ** _No worries. Can you meet me at the park? We'll, uh-_** " Something popped at the distance, followed by Nathaniel's scream of agony. Marinette scrunched her nose and Alya's voice sounded really panicked. **"jam straight from there to the dentist!** "

"Don't worry. I'm nearby." Marinette promised. _She'd be there for her BFF, no matter what!_ "I'll be right there in around five minutes-"

" **GREAT! LOVE YOU BYE!"** Alya quickly hung up on her before hearing her last word.

*beep. beep. beep*

"..." Both Plagg and Marinette stared at each other. The most suspicious conversation as of this week.

"Judging from those sounds..." Plagg bet. "Your BF plans on asking your help to dispose tomato's corpse. Let's be optimistic that she's asked other people before you!"

"Alya is not a killer." Marinette lets Plagg hide back in her jacket and she stands up, walking to her grandmother who turns with both ice creams.

"Is something wrong, my fairy?" Gina asked and Marinette heaved. _She really is an open book._

"I'm so sorry, Grandma." Marinette explained, holding her phone. "But Alya called and I promised to go to the _dentist_ with her."

"Surely you're not going to the dentist on your birthday?" Gina is not happy. _Marinette will remember this._ Gina offered, "I still have to take you to see the trains at Gare de Lyon Station! You loved to see new people wandering around."

"But Alya is my best friend and she has twin sisters who need moral support." Marinette repeated the logic of her best friend. _She doesn't get this either because all she needs to understand is that her BF needs her._ Marinette placed both hands together, looking at her grandmother. "You understand me, don't you?"

"I do, my fairy." Gina held the two ice creams, looking quite sad. "Don't worry about me. Run along now and go meet your friend."

"Are you sure?" Marinette asked and her grandmother smiled.

"Go on. It's not every day my fairy made herself friends." Gina teased, but the mirth isn't reaching her eyes. "I'll hold on to all of this. We'll catch up with each other later."

"Thank you for understanding, Nonna." Marinette smiled, but hesitated to leave.

"Now chop chop! Off you go. Don't want to be late for that appointment do you?" Gina said out loud.

"It's my best friend's sisters' appointment." Marinette corrected as she slowly walked away, watching her grandmother before turning away. She ran when she received a text message, surely from Alya. "You're the best, Nonna!"

...

"Your family's weird." Plagg commented as Marinette ran.

"You think I made a wrong choice?" Marinette asked as she kept running.

"No way. You made a promise and you're sticking to it." Plagg comforted his ward. "Besides, your grandmother wasn't there when you needed her. Why should you push everything to spend time with that woman?"

"She is part of family." Marinette paused, waiting for the green sign. "And she's making an effort to reach out to us _unlike grandpa._."

"Yeah. Great effort getting a gift you can't use." Plagg scoffed. "And don't you dare force me on that shirt. It's hideous!"

"It's not that bad. It has childlike innocence written all over it." Marinette started walking when it turned green. "Do you think Hawkmoth would-"

"Yes knowing him." Plagg knew what's her next line of thought. "Now hurry up! I have a good feeling about this one."

"This will be the last time we're watching crime series." Marinette shook her head as she kept running to the park. _She hopes Alya isn't a killer or she'd need to reveal her identity early to permanently erase the evidence._ 'Rest in pieces, Nathaniel.'

* * *

...

"Surprise!" Everyone cheered when Alya removed the blindfold. Marinette laughed, glad she can toss her initial plan of hiding a corpse. She's especially grateful none of her classmates are dead.

"Oh thank kwa-quack. Teehee..heh..." Marinette laughed uneasily, almost slipping up the new substitute to **god**. Fortunately, no one noticed her slip-up or maybe they don't know what a kwami is. As if any of them knows what a kwami is right? Marinette watched her classmates grab stuff to present to her, fiddling the kwagatama. 'You're fine. Everything is fine. Your Nonna might turn into an akuma but at least she knows what could be the akumatized object and what she's fixated with.'

"You okay, Marinette?" Adrien asked and Marinette jumped. The model quickly grabbed her before she fell down the ground. "Ops! Sorry about that. Didn't know you're easily frightened."

"You're okay. I mean! I'm cat Urgh. I'm okay!" Marinette slapped her face to cover it from the confused classmate. "Someone save me please?"

"Move Sunshine! (Marinette perked up.) It's time for the birthday girl to open her gifts!" Alya cheered and Marinette looked up at the idea. Right. She's in a surprise party. Her surprise party. Marinette smiled, thankful for Alya and co.

"Thanks, everyone." Marinette clapped her hands. _Her Nonna will come as an akuma. Sadly, her intuition is never wrong._ Marinette decides to focus on the present. "I hope you didn't spend too much for this. Anything will do. Really."

**Author's Note:**

> Increase alert level of Marinette towards incoming akumatization? Check.
> 
> Marinette likes to hoard trinkets? Yes.


End file.
